Course overview

Plan and run a structured donor campaign that fits your organisation's size and capacity.

This course is for your organisation if:

• We don't know how to grow our donor income.
• We rely too much on grants and events.
• We don't know how to move donors from one off to regular giving.
• We don't have a clear fundraising strategy.
• We don't know where to start with philanthropy.

Many small and emerging charities rely heavily on grants, events, or one off appeals to generate income. This practical course will show you how to take a more strategic approach to individual giving by building a donor campaign that grows stronger supporter relationships and creates more sustainable income over time.

Across two interactive online sessions, you'll learn how to plan a donor campaign that suits your organisation's size, capacity, and goals. You'll explore how different donor groups engage with your organisation, how to communicate with them effectively, and how to encourage ongoing support.

You'll leave with practical tools, templates and a campaign planning framework that you can adapt and start using straight away.

Course aim

By the end of the course, you will have:

• A practical framework to design and deliver a structured donor campaign for individual giving.
• Examples of campaign materials to guide your communications.
• The confidence to choose the right campaign focus for your organisation’s goals and capacity.

What you’ll learn

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• Plan a structured individual giving campaign.
• Identify and engage different donor groups, from first time donors to regular, mid value, major and bequest supporters.
• Develop communications that match each stage of the donor journey.
• Use practical templates and campaign resources to support your fundraising.
• Build a realistic campaign plan that fits your organisation's capacity.

Targeted skills

• Foundations for Growth – developing the skills to establish a sustainable income that can fund dedicated fundraising roles and future campaigns.
• Philanthropic Mindset – building confidence in approaching fundraising as a relationship-based, long-term practice.
• Practical Planning – using frameworks and sample tools to map out a campaign approach (grassroots, regular givers, or major donors).
• Communication Strategy – learning how messaging differs across donor segments and how to create multi-wave communications.
• Donor Segmentation – recognising different levels of donor engagement (general, regular, mid-value, major, legacy) and why each matters.
• Campaign Design – understanding how to structure a donor campaign that is achievable and aligned with organisational capacity.

Participant level

Entry - intermediate level.

Who is this course for?

Many small not for profits under $1M turnover already run fundraising activities such as events, raffles, grants, or appeals. This course focuses on building a structured donor campaign for individual giving and philanthropy, so you can grow a reliable base of supporter income over time.

Prerequisite knowledge

No prior fundraising experience is required. This course is designed for small not-for-profits taking their first steps into donor campaigns.

It is helpful, but not essential, for participants to have:

• A general understanding of their organisation’s mission, programs, and impact.
• Basic awareness of how their organisation currently engages supporters (e.g., newsletters, events, social media).
• Access to organisational information, such as supporter lists or communication examples.

This course won’t explore

To make sure expectations are clear, please note this course does not include:

• Development of bespoke campaign copy or materials for your organisation.
• One-to-one coaching or customised strategy design.
• Detailed tailoring of donor communications beyond the provided examples.
• Training in corporate sponsorship, grant writing, or event-based fundraising (this course focuses specifically on individual giving campaigns).

The course provides a framework, sample tools, and examples that you can adapt for your own organisation.

Delivery

2 x 3hr sessions via Zoom (Friday and Monday)

• A practical workbook to guide your learning and campaign planning.
• Sample campaign materials – including letters, social posts, and communication examples.
• A stewardship matrix to help you map donor engagement.
• Case studies to illustrate different campaign approaches.
• Access to templates and resources you can adapt for your organisation.
• Two live, interactive online sessions with group discussions, breakout rooms, and real-time Q&A.

Meet the facilitator

Read Fleur Allen's bio. (PDF)

Guidelines for enrolment

1. Make sure you have a login for the FIA Learning Hub. Click "Sign In" or "Forgot Password" if needed.
2. You can enrol a staff member if they already have a login.
3. If you require assistance, please email training@fia.org.au.

CFRE

Full participation in Your First Campaign: Building a Foundation for Philanthropy is applicable for up to 2.25 continuing education points in Category 1. B – Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.

FIA Code

This course relates to the following aspects of the FIA Code of Conduct:

• Compliance (Section 2.0): All campaign frameworks and tools shared in this course align with legal and regulatory requirements for fundraising in Australia.
• Ethical Conduct (Section 3.0): The course emphasises transparency, honesty, and integrity in donor communications, avoiding misleading or coercive practices.
• Conduct Towards Donors (Section 4.0): Practical examples demonstrate how to respect donor intent, safeguard privacy, and build trust through stewardship.
• Conduct Towards Beneficiaries (Section 5.0): Case studies highlight the importance of representing beneficiaries with dignity, avoiding exploitation in fundraising appeals.
• Conduct in Supplier Relationships (Section 6.0): Participants are reminded to ensure fair, transparent, and professional dealings with external suppliers such as printers, mail houses, or digital providers.

By embedding these principles throughout, the course equips participants not only with practical fundraising skills but also with a values-led approach that fosters trust, integrity, and long-term donor relationships.